Internships

Chad Haneline completed his
internship with Reflections
Apartments in Indianapolis.

The RPM Internship allows students to apply what they are learning in the classroom while gaining apartment industry experience. It is also a requirement of the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation. As a result of the program's close relationship with the apartment industry, internship opportunities for Ball State RPM students are plentiful throughout Indiana as well as nationwide.

Internship Options:

Undergraduate RPM students select between a 3 credit hour internship and a 6 credit hour internship.

3 credit hour internship – This option requires a minimum of 200 hours of work experience at an apartment community. Although students selecting this option may be primarily involved in leasing, it is desirable to have additional industry experiences when possible.

6 credit hour internship – This option requires a minimum of 400 hours of work experience at an apartment community. Students completing this option are required to spend time in all phases of the community – marketing, leasing, management, accounting, maintenance, grounds, etc., with corporate-level experiences when possible. See the Internship Checklist for a complete list of desirable experiences for students completing this internship option.

Graduate students who do not have apartment industry experience must complete a 6 credit hour internship. This experience is divided between on-site experience at an apartment community and experience at the corporate level of a property management company. Although not required, graduate students with apartment industry experience often complete a 3 credit hour internship to gain exposure at the corporate level of a property management company.

Internship Eligibility:

Undergraduate students are eligible for an internship after completing a series of courses:

FCPM 104 - Housing Decisions*

FCPM 235 - Introduction to Residential Property Management*

FCPM 275 - Marketing and Leasing Residential Properties*

FCPM 305 - Maintenance for Property Managers*

FCFN 310 - Customer Service

ACC 201 - Principles of Accounting 1

*Graduate students are eligible for an internship after completing the four undergraduate prerequisites courses for entry into the graduate program denoted by (*) in the course list above.

Most students complete their internship during the Summer Semester; however, it is also possible to complete an internship during Fall or Spring Semester. Students may also elect to complete a second internship to gain additional industry experience.

Internship Compensation:

Students receive an hourly wage during their internship, which has ranged from $9/hr. to $15/hr.

In addition, many students have been provided with a furnished apartment during their internship.

How to Hire an RPM Intern:

Most RPM students obtain their internship through the networking opportunities provided by the RPM Advisory Board.

Some students secure an internship through exhibitors at the Fall or Spring BSU Career Fairs.